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<p><center><h1>RapidRaycast: Manual</h1></center></p>

<p><h2>Content</h2></p>

<p>
<ul>
<li><a href="#introduction">Introduction</a></li>
<li><a href="#about">About Raycasting</a></li>
<li><a href="#tools">The RapidRaycast Tools</a>
	<ul>
	<li><a href="#menubar">The Menubar</a>
		<ul>
		<li><a href="#file">File</a></li>
		<li><a href="#map">Map</a></li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="#actionbar">The Actionbar</a>
		<ul>
		<li><a href="#previewbutton">Preview</a></li>
		<li><a href="#resizebutton">Resize</a></li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="#work">The Work Environment</a>
		<ul>
		<li><a href="#editormode">Map Editor Mode</a></li>
		<li><a href="#previewmode">Preview Mode</a></li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="#texturemanager">The Texture Manager</a></li>
	</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</p>

<p><h2><a name="introduction">Introduction</a></h2></p>
<p>RapidRaycast is a program that allows the user to create a world using a easy to use map editor. This includes the possibility to create textured walls. This world can then be rendered using the built in raycasting engine.</p>

<p><h2><a name="about">About Raycasting</a></h2></p>
<p>Raycasting is an method to render 2.5D images in which the user can move around. 2.5D means 3D with restrictions. The difference between raycasting and modern 3D engines is that raycasting is very fast, and it can create a world with very little data. But with these advantages come disadvantages. The possibilities that can be created in raycasted worlds are very limited. And the images aren't as beautiful as the ones from modern full 3D engines.</p>

<p><h2><a name="tools">The RapidRaycast Tools</a></h2></p>

<p><h3><a name="menubar">The Menubar</a></h3></p>
<p>The menubar contains options for filemanagement and manipulating map and interface.</p>
<p><img src="images/Menubar.bmp"></img></p>

<p><h4><a name="file">File</a></h4></p>
<p><a name="new">- New</a></p>
<p>Create a new empty map</p>

<p><a name="load">- Load</a></p>
<p>Load a map, saved in a file on the harddisk.</p>

<p><a name="save">- Save</a></p>
<p>Save a user created or edited map to the harddisk. If the map was already saved once before, this option will save the current state of the map in the same file as the last time. Otherwise it will prompt the user to choose a name and location for the file.</p>

<p><a name="saveas">- Save as...</a></p>
<p>Save a user created or edited map to the harddisk. Whether the map was already saved before or not, this option will prompt the user to choose a name and location for the file.</p>



<p><h4><a name="map">Map</a></h4></p>

<p><a name="preview">- Preview</a></p>
<p>This option will render the current state of the map on screen.</p>

<p>- Resize</p>
<p>This option allows the user to change the width and height of the map.</p>

<p>- Change default texture</p>
<p>This option will open the texture manager. The texture chosen from the texture manager will be rendered on every wall that does not have its own texture.</p>

<p>- Change default floor</p>
<p>This option will open the texture manager. The texture chosen from the texture manager will be rendered on every floor that does not have its own texture.</p>

<p>- Change default ceiling</p>
<p>This option will open the texture manager. The texture chosen from the texture manager will be rendered on every ceiling that does not have its own texture.</p>

<p><h4><a name="help">Options</a></h4></p>
<p>- OpenGL rendering</p>
<p>This means the world will be previewed using an OpenGL renderer backend</p>
<p>- Software rendering</p>
<p>This means the world will be previewed using a software renderer backend</p>

<p><h4><a name="help">Help</a></h4></p>

<p>- Help contents</p>
<p>This option will open the help documentation.</p>

<p>- Tutorial</p>
<p>This option will open the tutorial documentation.</p>

<p>- About</p>
<p>Information about the developers of RapidRaycast</p>

<p>- About Qt</p>
<p>Information about the developers of QT. The library used to create the GUI of RapidRaycast</p>

<p><h3><a name="actionbar">The Actionbar</a></h3></p>

<p><img src="images/Actionbar.bmp"></img></p>

<p><h4><a name="previewbutton">Preview Button</a></h4></p>
<p>A quickbutton to the preview option supplied in the menubar.</p>

<p><h4><a name="resizebutton">Resize Button</a></h4></p>
<p>A quickbutton to the resize option supplied in the menubar.</p>

<p><h3><a name="work">The Work Environment</a></h3></p>

<p><h4><a name="editormode">Map Editor Mode</a></h3></p>

<p>This is the mode the user can see when the program is first started. You can see the map and various tools which will be discussed further in this paragraph.</p>

<p><img src="images/editormode.bmp"></img></p>

<p>- The map</p>
<p>A graphical top-down view of the current state of the map. When the program is first started it will be empty. The map consist of a grid of cells. Each of the cells can be either a wall or an emtpy space (default emtpy space). Emtpy cells can be edited with ceiling and floor textures. Walls can be edited with wall textures (1 texture for each side of the wall)</p>

<p><img src="images/map.bmp"></img></p>

<p><a name="cameratool">- Camera Tool</a></p>
<p>This tool allows the user to place the camera in one of the cells of the map. The position of the camera is the position where the user will start when going into preview mode. The camera can also be turned by clicking and dragging the yellow camera angle after placing the camera on the map. The map cannot be preview if a camera is not placed.</p>
<p><img src="images/CameraTool.bmp"></img></p>

<p><a name="walltool">- Wall tool</a></p>
<p>This tool allows the user to place wall objects in the cells of the map using the mousecursor.</p>
<p><img src="images/WallTool.bmp"></img></p>

<p><a name="erasertool">- Eraser tool</a></p>
<p>This tool allows the user to remove wall objects from the cells of the map, or textures, or even the camera using the mouse cursor.</p>
<p><img src="images/EraserTool.bmp"></img></p>

<p><a name="showtexturelist">- Show texture list</a></p>
<p>This tool will call forth the <a href="#texturemanager">texture manager</a>.</p>
<p><img src="images/TextureList.bmp"></img></p>

<p><a name="texturetool">- Texture tool</a></p>
<p>This tool allows the user to supply a cell with wall, ceiling and floor textures. The currently selected texture is shown in the texture field. The texture can be selected using the show texture list.</p>
<p><img src="images/TextureTool.bmp"></img></p>

<p><a name="texturefield">- Texture Field</a></p>
<p>This field shows the currently selected texture. This texture can be added to a wall, floor or ceiling using the texture tool</p>
<p><img src="images/TextureField.bmp"></img></p>

<p>- Default texture field</p>
<p>This field shows the current default wall texture.</p>

<p>- Default floor texture field</p>
<p>This field shows the current default floor texture.</p>

<p>- Default ceiling texture field</p>
<p>This field shows the current default ceiling texture.</p>

<p><a name="changedefaulttexture">- Change default texture</a></p>
<p>There are 3 change default texture buttons. Each corresponding to their <a name="defaulttexturefields">texture fields</a>. The change default texture option will call the texture manager. A texture can be selected to fill the corresponding field.</p>

<p><img src="images/DefaultFields.bmp"></img></p>

<p><h4><a name="previewmode">Preview Mode</a></h4></p>
<p>Preview mode creates the world that the user created in map editor mode in a 2.5D perspective (cfr. <a href="#about">About raycasting</a>).</p>
<p><img src="images/previewmode.bmp"></img></p>

<p><h3><a name="texturemanager">The Texture Manager</a></h3></p>
<p>There are various actions in the program that will call forth the texture manager. This part of the program manages all the textures that are used or can be used to flavor the map. It displays all the textures that can are viable for selecting and using.</p>

<p>- Add Texture</p>
<p>Calls forth a file browser dialog. The user can select an image from any format to add as texture to the texture manager.</p>

<p>- Select Texture</p>
<p>Selects the currently highlighted texture to be used in the <a href="#editormode">map editor.</a></p>

<p>- Remove Texture</p>
<p>Removes the currently highlighted texture from the texture manager.</p>

<p>- Select Empty Texture</p>
<p>Selects the default empty texture to be used in the <a href="#editormode">map editor.</a></p>

<p>- Close</p>
<p>Closes the texture manager.</p>

<p><a name="colorcode">- Select New Color Code</a></p>
<p>When a texture is added to the texturemanager, the user can assign a color to it by rightclicking on the added texture and selecting "select new color code".

<p><a name="colorcode">- Add solid color texture</a></p>
<p>To add a solid color texture, rightclick in the texture list, and select "add solid color texture".


<p><img src="images/texturemanager.bmp"></img></p>

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